Pig Island 2016

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This past Saturday afternoon, September 10th I attended the 7th annual Pig Island Porktacular BBQ festival.

Pig Island was created in 2010 to support New York pig farmers with hogs sourced directly from small farms. This year the pork was provided by Flying Pig Farms in Shushan New York.

The outdoor festival was held on the waterfront at Erie Basin Park in Red Hook, Brooklyn which is surrounded with plenty of reminders of its industrial past with monolithic cranes and rotting piers.

Over 25 Chefs served pork-centric dishes for us to sample along with craft beer, artisan spirits and cider, and the beer and cider came in handy since this Saturday was brutally hot, with temperatures atypical for this time of year in the mid 90’s (34°). I have to give Kudos to the pitmasters who practiced their craft over a hot grill in these temperatures.

 

 

Cider Feast 2016

 

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This past Saturday, August 8th, Food Karma Projects and Cook Out NYC presented this years Cider Feast cookout.

Food Karma Projects is a producer of specialty food and craft beverage events throughout the New York area. Created by NYC restaurateur Jimmy Carbone (Jimmy’s N° 43), they throw several bbq/beverage events during the Summer.

This event featured over a dozen regional, national and international cider producers pouring their ciders along with food on the grill including sliders from Schnack Burgers and tacos from Jimmy’s N° 43. It was held at the Solar One event space on the waterfront and under the FDR drive at 24-20 FDR Drive in Manhattan.

It looked like the event might have been a wash-out, at start time a storm hit, but that soon passed and the sun came out and the event went on as scheduled.

 

Some of the ciders I sampled:

Brooklyn Cider House “Half Sour” (New York). A trio of cider from NY State apples, very light yellow, very crisp with nice apple notes.

Brooklyn Cider House “Kinda Dry” (New York). Light yellow, crisp with champagne like fizz, easy drinking.

Brooklyn Cider House “Bone Dry” (New York). On tap, slightly cloudy, bone dry and tart

Doc’s Draft “Gold Rush” (New York). 100% Goldrush apples, light yellow, light body, crisp with ripe vegetable notes on the finish.

Hudson Valley Farmhouse Cider “Traditional” (New York). On tap, clear light amber, bone dry with funky notes.

Hudson Valley Farmhouse Cider “Scrumpy” (New York). On tap, unfiltered, cloudy amber, dry with some chewy fruit.

Big Apple Hard Cider “Brooklyn Brew” (New York). On tap, dark amber, sweet with cotton candy and apple pie spice notes.

Indian Ladder Farmstead Pear Cider (New York). On tap, cloudy light yellow, tart finish with some dried herb notes.

Indian Ladder Farmstead Barrel Aged Cider (New York). Light yellow with very light fruit flavors.

Shacksbury “Semi-Dry” (Vermont). In a can, clear, apply with some funk on the finish.

Shacksbury “Lost and Found” (Vermont). A blend of lost apples foraged in the Champlain Valley of Vermont, clear and dry with some tannin on the finish.

Virtue Cider “Michigan Brut” (Michigan). Light yellow with citrus notes on the finish.

Virtue Cider “The Mitten” (Michigan). Bourbon barrel aged, green apple notes with a very crisp finish.

E.Z. Orchards Cider “Hawks Haus” (Oregon). Floral nose, bone dry, crisp with light apple flavors.

Urban Farm Fermentory “Ol Cranny” (Maine). Cranberried Cidah (their spelling), dark copper color, bone dry and very crisp with pixie stick flavors on the finish.

Urban Farm Fermentory “Baby Jimmy” (Maine). Oak barrel aged Cidah, 100% wild yeast, light yellow, slightly cloudy.

Austin Eastciders Hopped Cider (Texas). Medium amber, dry, tannic with green fruit on the finish, feels unbalance.

Fanjul Sidra Natural (Spain). Cloudy, tight and tart, funky with some tannin on the finish.

Cidre Fermier “Brut” (France). Copper color, fizzy, crisp with green asparagus notes on the finish.

Le Brun Cidre de Bretagne “Brut” (France). Medium yellow, fizzy, crisp, green apple notes, very crisp finish.

Le Brun Cidre “Organic” (France). Medium amber, finishes with some sweetness to it.

Aval Cidre (France). Tight and crisp and very funky.

Aspall English Draft Cider “Demi-Sec” (England). Apply, off dry but not sweet.